Procedure
- Mount the quadrupole on the supplied holder. The orientation is given by the blocked hole, which will not allow it to go onto the alignment bolts. Tighten the four screws of the quadrupole assembly.
- Make sure that you have sufficient space on the bench to pull the quad cleaning tool all the way through the quadrupole.
- Assemble the quadrupole cleaning tool by screwing the cleaning tool onto the handle.
Assembling the quadrupole cleaning tool - Place the quadrupole cleaning tool into the holder recess.
- Fill one drip bottle with isopropanol and the other bottle with water (both LC/MS grade). Put labels on the bottles.
- Prepare the quadrupole cleaning tool with isopropanol and water. See Clean the quadrupole.
- Wet the section close to the handle of the cleaning tool with water. Use only a few drops of water. Otherwise, the water will be pressed out of the tool during the cleaning procedure and possibly drip into the quadrupole.
- Wet the center section of the cleaning tool with isopropanol.
Preparing the cleaning tool IMPORTANT
Do not wet the section close to the blunt tip because this section is used for immediately drying the quadrupole.
- Insert the handle of the cleaning tool carefully into the exit side of the quadrupole until it emerges on the entrance side.
Inserting the quadrupole cleaning tool - Grip the handle and pull the tool through completely.
- Repeat the above two steps four times.
- Dry the quadrupole with a strong stream of oil-free nitrogen gas to make sure that the solvent evaporates completely.
Drying the quadrupole - It is crucial to remove all potential lint with the nitrogen blow gun. Without touching the rods, blow along them and make sure that potential lint gets fully removed.
- With a magnifying device, inspect the quadrupole for any lint, particulates, and sample buildup or coatings. Use plastic tweezers or a similar tool to remove lint or particulates or purge again with nitrogen.